


Balance

by Serie11



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Vanitas Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:02:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23325964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serie11/pseuds/Serie11
Summary: Vanitas is hurt. Ventus comes to drag him out of his self imposed exile.
Relationships: Vanitas/Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55





	Balance

“Show me that.”

Vanitas scowls at Ventus. He’s cradling his arm out of sight, but he knows the set of Ventus’s jaw.

“You can’t do anything about it,” Vanitas mumbles. “Seeing it won’t make it better.”

“But sharing your pain might make you feel better,” Ventus says quietly. “You don’t have to hide anything from me. I thought we were past this.”

Vanitas bites back his desire to tell Ventus to leave. Some things should be his, and his alone. Ventus always wants to stick his nose in where he doesn’t belong.

Ventus sits down beside him. Vanitas has curled up in this corner, which he realises is pathetic, but he doesn’t particularly care when it’s only Ventus who can see him. He’s done worse, has had worse done to him. This is nothing.

Ventus reaches out and tugs at his arm, and Vanitas let it happen. Ventus always gets his way, and Vanitas has long stopped trying to get in the way of that.

Ventus tuts over the scratch. It’s already scabbed over with his negativity, the globules serving some use for once. Normally all it’s good for is aggravating all the people around him. Or maybe that’s just Vanitas’s normal influence on things.

“It’s hardly worth mentioning,” Vanitas scowls, yanking his arm back. Ventus lets it go, which isn’t as satisfying as if he’d tried to keep it. Now Vanitas just wants Ventus’s warm hands on him again. Stupid emotions, tripping him up as always.

“You don’t have to hide anymore,” Ventus tells him gently. “You don’t need to keep these kinds of things from me. From all of us.”

“I’m just a reminder of everything bad,” Vanitas mumbles. “Terra and Aqua don’t want to be reminded of what I am.”

“They already know what you are,” Ventus says tersely. “Don’t be silly. You aren’t ‘reminding’ them of anything. They are sad that you still feel like you have to run away from them, though.”

“I’m not running away,” Vanitas hisses.

“Are you sure?” Ventus asks. “You’ve been living with us for almost six months now.” He puts a hand on Vanitas’s shoulder. “Come on. Aqua should have a look at that.”

“It’s not worth having Aqua look at it,” Vanitas protests.

“It will make Aqua feel better,” Ventus tells him. He pulls Vanitas’s hand out and laces their fingers together. Vanitas looks at that – how every finger lines up, perfect. How he can reach out and feel the push and pull of Ventus’s light and dark, matching his own. He folds their hands together and Ventus smiles at him, for the first time since entering the room. That, more than anything, convinces Vanitas. He’s so weak for Ventus’s smile.

“Fine,” he grunts. “You’re both ridiculous and over protective, and it’s already mostly healed, but fine. Aqua can look at it if she wants to feel better.”

Ventus leans over and presses a kiss against his lips, before jumping up and heading out of the room. Expecting Vanitas to follow. He will, but he wonders at it all the same. Does he trust Vanitas’s word? Or does he just expect him to trail after him, like he always has? Vanitas isn’t sure which is the right answer. Maybe both are, or neither.

“Vanitas!” Ventus calls out. Vanitas takes a deep breath, and goes.


End file.
